In recent years, power converters must handle a large electrical current flow yet at the same meet demands for a small size. Attempting to pass a large electrical current flow through the power converter causes large heat emission from the semiconductor devices. Unless the heat capacity of the power converter is greatly improved, the semiconductor devices will reach a heat breakdown temperature due to their large heat emission but boosting the heat capacity prevents making the power converter smaller. Whereupon, a dual-sided cooling type power module was invented that improves the cooling efficiency by cooling the semiconductor element from both sides.
In this dual-sided cooling type power module, lead frames serving as sheet conductors enclose both main surfaces of the semiconductor device; and a cooling medium thermally couples and cools the side facing the main surface of the semiconductor device, and the lead frame surface on the opposite side.
The patent document 1 discloses an invention where a heat sink with protruding power leads is coupled to one main surface and to the other main surface of the power device, the power device and heat sink are sealed by a resin mold, and a fuse member is mounted between the terminal and the power lead protruding to outside the resin mold.